Nat. Volatiles & Essent.

Oils, 2021; 8(5): 3522 - 3530

RFID based Human Following Load Carrier

1VishwaPriya V, 2Thiyanayugi Mariraj, 3Sushmitha Govindaraj, 4Jai Gowtham
Sampathkumar, 5Vinula Parvathavarthini Raju, 6Shri Ram Senthilkumar

1
Assistant Professor
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
vvp.rae@psgtech.ac.in
2
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
yugimariraj01@gmail.com

3
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
sushmitharaj2000@gmail.com
4
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
jaigowsam@gmail.com
5
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
vinula.raju@gmail.com
6
Robotics and Automation
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore, India
shriramtg34@gmail.com

Abstract

Robots have come a long way and have been revolutionary in assisting humans in completing tasks. The communication of
robot and the user is the most critical component to act independently. Our main goal was to design and build a robot that
could not only track humans but also move towards them and assist them to carry loads while tracking them. To make things
easier, a person who the robot must follow was given a one-of-a-kind handmade tag. Determining the target is the most
difficult component of this type of operation. The object must be distinct in order for the robot to recognize it and execute
the target. Another problem to solve is preventing the robot from colliding with the object. This is accomplished through the
use of a sensor. The microprocessor handles all processing, and the controller handles motor control.

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Keywords—Human following, load carrier, arduino, service robot, RFID.

I. INTRODUCTION

In the past few years, robotic technology has evolved substantially. To aid humans in their work, a
robot must be able to recognize and follow them, necessitating the development of robots like the
"RFID based Human Following Load carrier" that can interact and co-exist with them. Localizing the
items in the surroundings as well as the robot itself is a significant problem in enabling the robot for
executing a range of activities in the real-world. A robot need to be sophisticated to track a human
through traffic regions, a vibrant atmosphere, and both indoors and out. The project's goal in building
a following robot is for it to be able to carry objects alongside humans. It can be utilised in agriculture,
construction, airports, and shopping malls. A microcontroller is the overall system's controlling device.
The RF signal transmitted by the object can be used by RFID readers to identify the objects. Sensors
such as ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors aid in the recognition and location of objects. The
microcontroller is connected to an RFID module and DC motors. The controller is loaded with a
programme developed in the Embedded 'C' language to accomplish this operation.

II. RELATED WORK

A lot of researches have been conducted in the area related to RFID based Human Following Load
Carrier.
Muhammad Sarmad Hassan et al. [1] focus on a system for a human-following robot that uses a
camera to identify and recognize tags. The sensors helps the robot in making wise decisions using
robot control unit. A system that provides real-time indoor position tracking was developed by Qian
Ma et al. effectively and affordably using the M-RFID model, which includes RFID readers on moving
objects (human beings) and RFID tags stationary in the monitoring area [2].
Few researchs have been accomplished in the system. Mobile robot applications using dual-
directional antennas were developed by Myungsik et al. [6], which is a standalone-direction finding
RFID reader.Inducing localization and searching phenomenon to the RFID, can help to get information
on a fixed object. Thennavarajan Subramanian et al. [7] described the advancements in object
following and obstacle avoidance and a miniature robot which can follow mobile objects was
developed. The mobile camera or webcam is used to identify the various features of the mobile object
with the help of a captured image.

III. SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Our robot is comprised of four-wheeled vehicle controlled by a microcontroller and various
sensors, including ultrasonic and infrared sensors. To improve effectiveness, the sensor is vertically
mounted on the robot at a specific height above the ground. The user controls this robotic vehicle
using identification tag.
A. Arduino
The Arduino Uno is designed by Arduino.cc and uses ATmega328P. It is a microprocessor developed
by Arduino.cc. There are several I/O pins, either digital or analog. This helps to connect the Arduino to
external circuits. The Arduino microcontroller is shown in Fig. 1.

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Fig. 1. Arduino UNO

B. RFID RC522
Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) comprises of a tag or a card fixed on an object that
needs to be tracked and a reader, a electronic chip. An antenna and a RF module emits a
electromagnetic field with high frequency in a Tranceiver. The tag works without any kind of power
supply. It features a chip which processes data, as well as an antenna that receives and transmits
signals. Thus it is called as passive device. The RFID RC522 is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. RFID reader module with white card and key ring
C. Ultrasonic Sensor
A device that calculates the distance between two objects is called Ultrasonic sensor. It emits
Ultrasonic sound waves to do the process. The proximity of an object is deduced by attaching a
transducer module with the sensor. This helps in getting and emitting ultrasonic pulse. High-frequency
sound waves reflect off boundaries, resulting in distinct echo patterns. This sensor module is shown
in Fig. 3.

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Fig. 3. Ultrasonic sensor

D. Infrared sensor
An infrared sensor is a device that calculates infrared radiation in its surroundings. There are two
categories in IR sensors. They are active and passive sensors. An active sensor, both produces and
measures the IR radiation. The infrared sensor module is shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Infrared sensor

E. DC Motor
Energy in electrical form is transferred into mechanical form using motors. DC motors requires DC
current to convert electric power into mechanical transmission.
The current given to power the rotor creates a magnetic field. This field is used by the DC motors
for rotation. The electrical inputs as well as the motor’s design determine the output torque and
speed. Fig. 5 shows the image of DC Motor.

Fig. 5. DC Motor

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IV. METHODOLOGY
A systematic methodology is used with the primary aim of creating a complete functioning load
carrier that is able to follow humans in mind.
The project is divided into several phases. All the steps were executed in organized way, beginning
with discussions with various types of customers, and then inquiring about their problems. The
problem statement was created after identifying the common problems encountered by various
customers. A solution to the aforementioned problems was proposed, and the best solution was
chosen. The design's basic concept has been chosen, and many journals and patents that are already
available have been reviewed.
Following a review of the various papers, a key concept was raised. This resulted in a conceptual
design with approximate parameters. Following the selection of the necessary materials and
electronics, a detailed study was conducted, and precise parameters were established. The detailed
design was then modelled and used for prototype design. Finally, the prototype was put through its
paces in the workplace with the specified load. Fig. 6 depicts the methodology that was developed.

Fig. 6. Process flowchart

V. WORKING
This concept primarily uses ultrasonic and infrared sensors to track people. Authentication is done
with the use of radio frequency identification technology. The RFID process serves as a control key for
the robot. The robot can only be controlled by those who have a valid RFID tag.
Step 1: The RFID tag acts as the robot's key. The RFID tag's unique identification number is
employed as an enable condition for the robot to follow the person in technical terms. The “for and if
loops” are used to determine whether to run the code or not. The code instructs the robot to follow
the person by using ultrasonic and infrared sensors after detecting a valid RFID tag.

Step 2: The programming to track the human begins to execute after the tag has been detected. To
begin, the ultrasonic sensor identifies whether the subject being followed is in front of or behind. If the
subject is on either side of the robot, the two infrared sensors identify it and direct it in that direction.
Throughout the operation, the infrared and ultrasonic sensors operate together. They identify persons
using ultrasonic and infrared technologies and communicate the data to the Arduino. The Arduino acts
as a processor, providing information to the motor driver. The generalised system design, which
incorporates the controllers with RFID, motors and various sensors and modules, is shown in Fig. 7.

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Fig. 7. Block diagram of the RFID Based Human Following Load Carrier

The circuit design developed using the block diagram is shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8. Circuit diagram of the RFID Based Human Following Load Carrier

VI. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

TinkerCAD was used to develop the conceptual design. On the basis of the derived design, the
mechanical structure is created. The base's length and width are 400 mm and 250 mm, respectively.
The length of the carrier is 300 mm, the width is 250 mm. The total height is calculated to be 150 mm.
The prototype has a payload capacity of 1kg. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show the 3D model's side, front, and
top views.

Fig. 9. Side view of the 3D model

Fig. 10. Front view of the 3D model

Fig. 11. Top view of the 3D model

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VII. CODING
The programming portion of this project is critical in order to complete all of the operations. First,
we include the necessary libraries for the RFID reader, servo, and motors. RFID readers and ultrasonic
sensors pins are defined. The fig. 12 represents the initialization of the code.

Fig. 12. Header files and Pin configurations

In the void loop, the RFID reader checks for the correct RFID tag, and deny access to the other tags.
Fig 13. shows the programming part of RFID.

Fig. 13. Code for RFID

If the correct tag is found, “authorized access” is printed in the serial monitor, and it enters into
the human following algorithm using ultrasonic sensors. Fig. 14 depicts the RFID and ultrasonic sensor
code.

Fig. 14. Code for RFID and ultrasonic sensor

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VIII. IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation was carried out with the assistance of a block diagram and a circuit diagram.
The hardware and software were interfaced. The working prototype is completed. The figure depicts
a human-following load carrier prototype based on RFID. Figs. 15, 16, 17 illustrate the side, front, and
top views of the working prototype.

Fig. 15. Side view of the RFID based human following load carrier

Fig. 16. Front view of the RFID based human following load carrier

Fig. 17. Top view of the RFID based human following load carrier

IX. APPLICATIONS
Human following load carrier will benefit people in a variety of applications. Some applications for
this robot include:
• Helping farmers to carry heavy loads.
• Assisting people working in hospitals, libraries, airports, and so on in carrying loads.
• Able to serve consumers in retail malls and public places.

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X. CONCLUSION
This research demonstrates the effective installation of an RFID-based human following load
carrier. Not only can this robot identify things, but it can also track and follow them. The tag is utilized
to detect the proprietor, and depending on that detection, the robot follows. The many sensors
installed within the robot were intended to improve detection accuracy. It was also thought that the
robot's "following" capabilities should be as efficient as feasible. The tests were conducted under a
range of circumstances in order to identify and rectify algorithmic faults.

XI. FURTHER WORKS

There are numerous intriguing applications in various fields, including military and medical. To
make the robot more versatile and controllable from a distance, wireless communication functionality
can be added. We can monitor the surroundings by mounting a camera on the top. We can also make
changes to the algorithm and structure to make it suitable for other purposes. There arevarious other
applications where we can apply this mechanism for following the object or a human. Further use of
Vision based sensors such as video sensors and processing them increases the accuracy.

REFERENCES
1. Muhammad Sarmad Hassan, Mafaz Wali Khan, “Design and Development of Human Following
Robot”, Student Research Paper Conference., vol. 2, no. 15, July 2015.
2. Qian Ma , Xia Li, Guanyu Li, Bo Ning, Mei Bai and Xite Wang, “Mobile RFID-Based Localization
for Indoor Human Tracking”, MDPI(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)., March 2020.
3. Ileni Abhinav Theja, Gudur Chandrakanth, Ravvula Akhil, Shaik Areef, “Human Following
Robot”, International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology., vol.
7.
4. Ashutosh Gujar, Kalyanee Jadhav, “Bluetooth Based and GPS Based Follow Me Robot”,
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), April 2021.
5. W. W. Tai, B. Ilias , S.A. Abdul Shukor, N. Abdul Rahim, “A Study of Ultrasonic Sensor Capability
in Human Following Robot System”, IOP Conference Series.
6. Kim, Myungsik, Chong, Nak Young, Ahn, Hyo-Sung, Yu, Wonpil, “RFID-enabled Target Tracking
and Following with a Mobile Robot Using Direction Finding Antennas”, IEEE International
Conference on Automation Science and Engineering., 2007.
7. Thennavarajan Subramanian, Rahul Madbhavi, Shreepad Potadar, Sylvester Jerome D’souza,
K V Gangadharan, “Object Follower and Barrier Escaping Robot Using Image Processing”,
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology., July
2015.
8. Muhammad B. Akbar, David G. Taylor, Gregory D. Durgin, “Two-Dimensional Position and
Orientation Estimation Using a 5.8 GHz RFID System”, IEEE Xplore., December 2020.

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